Semaphore-instructor.



J..E. MEYERS.

, SEMAPHORE INSTRUCTOR.

APPucATlou man SEPT. 2. |916.

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Patented June-12, 1917.

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SEMAPHORE-INSTRUCTOR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed September 2, 1916. Serial No. 118,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. MEYERs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Camp Stotsenburg, in Pamponga, Philippine Islands, have invented a certain new yand useful Improvement in Semaphore-Instructors, of which` the following is a specilication.

My invention resides in a device foraiding to teach andlearn the semaphore letters and numerals used, for example, in the United States Army and Navyl and by the Boy Scouts and others in short distance signaling. It is well known that these signals are formed by holding a flag or flags in various positions corresponding to the letters of the alphabet or to the Arabic numerals.

The object of :my invention is to provide a Idevice which will exhibit the various positions and combinations of positions of the flags by rotating a disk to the proper position. Contributory to this general object it is my purpose to embody the invention in a vconvenient and simple form. Also to provide means whereby the disk may be readily rotated and may be readily arrested in the proper position. AOther contributory objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I accomplish my objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a front view of the complete device.

Fig. 2 is a-vertical section on the line 2 2,

Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the rotatable disk.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A screen l forms the front of the device, and while its outline maybe varied, I prefer to construct it in the manner shown, with a straight base line 2, a circular upper edge 3, and a shoulder 4 at the right side about midway between the top and the bottom. A human figure, 5, representing the senderis painted or otherwise portrayed about midway between the lateral edges of the screen `and ordinarily this will represent lthe standing figure of a man in military or naval costume. The figure is not provided with arms, but radiating from a point at or near the shoulder are seven slots, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, through which'may be seen the disk 14. This disk is rotatably mounted upon the 'back of the screen and in the preferred construction is supported upon an eyelet, l5, located at the point in the screen from which the slots radiate. The positions of the slots on the screen correspond to the seven different positions in which the liags are held in signaling. I

. At the outer end of each of the slots 6-12 is an approximately square aperture, these level with his shoulders, and one pair are arranged at 45 degrees above horizontal and the other at 45 degrees below.

Teeth-or projections are formed at the periphery of the disk, 14, where they may be engaged by the forefingerl of the user. The letters of the alphabet and the numerals, 0 to 9 are marked on the disk in the form of a circle concentric with the eyelet. In the present form they are marked upon the teeth themselves. In the form shown yin the drawings there are thirty-two of these teeth and they are marked and arranged as follows in the sequence named, proceeding in a clockwise direction:

' On tooth 25 are marked the letter A and the numeral 1.

On tooth 26 are marked B and 2'.

On tooth 27 are marked C and 3.

On tooth 28 is R.

On tooth 29'are Gr and 7.

0n tooth 30 is N.

On tooth 31 is S.

On tooth 32 is L.

On tooth 33 is Z.

On tooth 34 are F and 6.

On tooth 35 is M.

0n tooth 36 are D and 4.

On tooth 37 .is W. O'n tooth 38 is X.

On tooth 39 are E and 5.

Tooth 40 is blank.

Tooth 41 i s blank.

On tooth 42 are J and 0.

On tooth 43 is V.

On tooth 44 is R.

0n tooth 45 is T.

0n tooth 46 is U.'

On tooth 47 is' Y.

On tooth 48 is L.

On tooth 49 is 0.

' On tooth 50 is P.

On tooth 51 is Q. On tooth 52 are D and 4. On tooth 53 are II and 8. lOn tooth 54 are I and 9. On tooth 55 is K. j Tooth 56 is blank. l

Thus, there are 32 teeth in the arrange ment shown and three of these are blank. Also the letters R and D are duplicated at points diametrically opposite to each other respectively. j

On this disk are marked six sectors, 60, 6 1 62, 63, 64 and 65. With the exception o the color sector, 61, all .of the sectors `are of substantially the same width as the Hag openings, and by preference the teeth extend through the same arc. Sector`61 is of triple Width'as shown. With the exception of sector 60, all of the sectors are located on i one-half i of the disk.

The screen has a sight aperture 67, in it through which will be exhibited the letters of the code one at a time. The position of ythe vcolor `sectors relatively to the letters on the disk will depend upon the position of the sight aperturerelatively to shoulder 4 on the screen, from which itfollows that the position 4of the sectors relatively to the letters will vary according to the position of the sight apertures.

It has vbeen found that the present arrangement of the color sectors not only ex hibits the letters accurately, but makes it possible to employ full lsized Hag apertures. Of course, the positions of the flag apertures arefixed by the requirements of the code, and their size isrmore or less fixed if they are to be in proper proportion to the human figure appearing upon the screen. f

Inorder to real, it is desirable to place radiating color strips 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77 on the screen inline with each of the color sectors. The color of these radiating .strips is preferably the same as' the clothing of any given letter, he' will rotate the disk until that letter appears through the lsight aperture, 67. When the required letter, appears through this 'sight aperture, one or make the simulation more,

Thus, when a color two of the color disks, as the case may be, appear at the proper flag apertures in the screen. The upper right quadrant, 80, of

the screen is cut away and permits the teeth to project so that they may be engaged by the forelinger of the user. The

device is easy to manipulate and little care is required to bring the disk accurately to one of the exhibiting stations, for the parts are so located, that when the 'index finger of the user strikes shoulder 4, one of the letters will be accurately positioned in front of the sight aperture, 67 Furthermore, rapidrotatio'n ofthe disk will not cause overthrow, because the succeeding tooth will engage the top of the inger when the latter rests against the shoulder 4; in other words, in using the device, the user inserts his in- -dex finger between two adjacent teeth and It will also be noted that the letters do f not occur on the teeth in the same sequence in which they do in the alphabet. This is ofv advantage to the student because he does not then rely on the sequence of the signals to identify them. Hence, the device may be used as a quizzing device, especially if the user keeps his thumb over the sight aperture, 67, until after he has made his interpretation of the signal. In the present form the sight aperture is located a short distance below the shoulder 4 and hence is in a convenient position to be covered by' the thumb when the index finger or forenger of the user is -in position to engage the teeth. A

Having thus described myv invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A semaphore instructor having a screen in which are {iag openings "located in the l'different flag positions, a rotating disk be- Aaperture and a rotating disk behind said screen, said disk having the letters of the alphabet marked thereon in a circle. whereby the rotating of the disk will bring dilerent letters to view through the sight aperture, and color sectors marked upon said disk in position to be exhibited behind the proper flag opening or openings when a givenletter appearsthrough the sight aperture.

3. A semaphore instruetorhavinga screenl provided with seven flag openings located in the standard flag positions around a common center, said screen being also provided with a sight aperture; a disk mounted upon said 4screen and rotatable upon an axis coincident with said center, said disk having spur teeth and having letters arranged in a circle concentric with the axis of rotation, whereby the rotation of the disk will bring the letters opposite tothe sight aperture in the screen, said disk having color sectors marked thereon in position tobe exhibited through said flag openings, and a. shoulder formed on the screen for arresting the users inger when the latteris in engagement with a tooth on the disk.

4. A semaphore instructor having the figure of a sender portrayed on the front of a screen and having seven flag openings arranged in a circle centered near the shoulders of the sender, a dlskmounted on the back of the screen, Said disk having color sectors lnarked thereon, and said. disk belng rotatable about an axis concentric with the center of the circle upon which the flag openings are arranged, said disk having spur teeth by which the disk may be rotated, said teeth having the letters of the alphabet marked thereon', and' said screen covering the disk and its teeth except at the upper right portion of the screen when the screen is held in normal position looking at the' sender, said screen being cut away at said upper right portion for permitting the teeth to project.

-5. A semaphore instructor having a screen in which are seven Hag openings located in the standard flag positions, and a rotating disk mounted behind said screen, saiddisk having the letters of the alphabet marked thereon, 1nd also` having color sectors marked thereon for showing through said Hag openings, said sectors being six in' number.

(5. Av semaphore instructor having a screen in which are sevenv Hag openings of equal width, a rotatableY disk mounted on the back of the screen and having the letters of the' alphabet marked thereon, and also having color sectors marked upon it for showing through said {iag openings, said color sectors being six in number and all of them, except one, being of a width approximately equal to the width of the 'flag openings.

7. A semaphore instructor having the tigure of a sender portrayed on the front of a screen and having seven flag openings ar ranged in a circle centered near the shoul-y ders ofthe sender, and said screen also having radial slots in -line with said flag openings, a disk rotatably mounted on the back of the screen and'having color sectors for showing through said fiag openings, said disk also having radial color strips marked thereon in line with said color sectors for showing through said sl its, and Asaid disk having the letters of the alphabet marked thereon for identifying the signal indicated by the color sectors appearing through said flag openings.

8. A semaphore -instruetorconsisting of ascreen having the figure of a sender por trayed thereon, and having tiag openings ar' it may be conveniently covered by the v thumb of the user when his hand is in position to manipulate the teeth with his forefinger.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

i JOSEPH E. MEYERS. 

